Biography of James Seale, Butler, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/butler/bios/jseale.txt =============================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed and copyrighted by: Timothy D. Hudson ================================================================================= February 2004 BIOGRAPHY OF JAMES SEALE written by T. D. Hudson James Seale was born on 13 February 1769 in Cumberland County North Carolina, the son of Charles Seale and Lydia Muse Seale. His parents lived in that portion of Cumberland that became Moore County in 1784. The fall after his birth, James' parents left North Carolina and moved to Craven County South Carolina. Charles Seale bought a farm on the Sawney's Creek of the Wateree River. His farm was located in the portion of Craven County that became Fairfield District in 1785. James Seale grew up in South Carolina living near his uncles Thomas and Daniel Muse, aunt Amy Muse Tolleson, and his grandmother Sophia Pope Muse Morrison and her husband John Morrison. Charles Seale had been born in 1729, Stafford County Virginia, and he grew up in Prince William County VA, where his parents Anthony Seale, II and Ann Bristow Seale lived. Charles met and married Lydia Muse there between about 1748 and 1753. In 1753, Charles left Virginia with his father-in-law James Muse, Sr. and brother-in-law James Muse, Jr., settling in Cumberland County North Carolina. James Muse, Sr. died there in 1758. Back in Prince William County Virginia, James Seale's grandfather Anthony Seale II died in 1781. This event plus the abundant land distributed in Georgia at the end of the Revolutionary War probably caused Charles' brother Anthony Seale III to leave Virginia and move south towards Georgia in about 1783 or early 1784. Anthony III was joined by his brother Thomas Seale and sister Dorothy Seale Stribling and her husband Francis Stribling from Cumberland County NC. They settled in Wilkes County Georgia near the present-day Wilkes/Lincoln County line. Charles Seale following his siblings to Wilkes County in 1783/1784. He was living there in 1785 and was granted land in Wilkes in the fall of that year. Charles was living next door to his son Enoch Seale, brother Thomas Seale, nephew Jarvis Seale, and a large clan of Peavys. About this time, Charles' daughter Lydia Seale married Abraham Peavy. One month after he was granted 250 acres of land in Wilkes County in Oct 1785, Charles Seale sold it and returned to South Carolina. Lydia Seale Peavy remained behind in Georgia with her husband's family, and according to a statement he made much later, James Seale remained behind in Georgia with his sister and her husband for several years. It is not known how long James Seale remained in Georgia, but by 1792 he was back in South Carolina, for he bought land in Fairfield District in that year. About 1792 or 1793, James Seale married Rachel Kelley (?). Nothing is known about Rachel at this time other than her given name; her maiden name is family tradition. Between 1792 and 1820, James Seale farmed his plantation in Fairfield District South Carolina. He owned a small number of slaves, just about one family of them. Between about 1805 and 1817, James Seale gradually saw his brothers all leave South Carolina for Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi; by 1818 he and his uncle Thomas Muse were the last of the family in Fairfield. James’ sister Lydia Seale and her husband Abraham Peavy lived in that portion of Wilkes County GA that became Warren County in 1794, and they lived there or in Hancock and Morgan Counties until about 1817 or 1818, when they moved to Butler County Alabama. It was originally named "Fairfield County" in honor of all the original settlers with ties to Fairfield District SC. In 1818 a group of Indians who refused to accept the white control of that state made several violent and bloody attacks in the area, killing not only the men, but unarmed and helpless women and children as well. The area was named "Butler County" after Captain William Butler, who died fighting these Indians. Abraham and Lydia Seale Peavy survived the Indian attacks, and by the winter of 1820/1821, James Seale left South Carolina and joined his sister in Alabama. He bought a plantation near present-day Greenville in 1821 and lived there for 11 years. By 1832, many of James' older children had married and moved a short distance north into southern Lowndes County. James followed them there in 1832, but within a few years he had moved still further northeast to Autauga County. By 1839, Rachel had died and James' wife was named "Rebecca". Rebecca Seale died by 1840, and in 1842 James married a widow, Hannah Higginottom Roberts Ivey. James and Hannah lived in Autauga County until 1852, when they moved back to Butler County to live near his sons Ransom, Anderson, and William H. Seale. Hannah died in 1859, and a year later, on 4 Feb 1860, James Seale died in Butler County Alabama. Children of James and Rachel Seale: 1. Elizabeth Seale (1794-1835) married Elisha Kelley (lived in Lowndes Co AL) 2. Mary Seale (1796-1861), married Balam B. Bates (lived in Lowndes Co AL) 3. daughter died young 4. Ransom Seale (1799-1862), married Ellen Murphy (lived in Butler Co AL) 5. daughter died young 6. Anderson Seale (1802-1889), married Mary Armstrrong and Jane Rodgers (lived in Butler Co AL) 7. Matilda Sealel (1805-1872), married Ephraim Parmer and William Grant (lived in Lowndes Co AL) 8. William Henry Seale (1807-1904), married Rulincy Hilson (lived in Butler Co AL) 9. daughter died young 10. Clarenda Seale (1813-1897), married William Ham (lived in Lowndes Co AL, Union Par LA) 11. Cynthia Seale (1813-1857), married David Ward (lived in Lowndes Co AL, Union Par LA) 12. James Hayden Seale (1814-1870?), married Sarah Mobley (lived in Lowndes Co AL, Union Par LA, Jackson Par LA, New Orleans, LA) 13. Thomas Jefferson Seale (1816-1893), married Aletha Connell (lived in Lowndes Co AL, Autauga Co AL, Jackson Par LA, Union Par LA) 14. Elvira Seale (1820-1845?), married Adam Bynam Cooper (lived in Union Par LA) ************************************************************************************************* Sources: I wrote this brief biography primarily based upon my own personal research into the Seale family. However,Mrs. Mamie Sellers and Mrs. Lou Murphy have shared the results of their research into the Seale and Muse families with me, some of which I used in this biography. These sources document the statements made above: +++ court records of Fairfield Co SC +++ court records of Butler Co AL +++ court records of Lowndes Co AL +++ court records of Autauga Co AL +++ court records of Union Par LA +++ US census records +++ National Archives records (land records & Revolutionary Pension records) +++ family Bible records Timothy D. Hudson